Customer Reviews

Tiny Houses: or How to Get Away From It All

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I am a professional builder and this is one of my very favorite books on residential architecture. It is a book that you pick up from the coffee table to peruse, and you can end up studying for hours. Maybe you're not interested in building an ice fishing shanty, or a camp cottage, or the tent house that folds out like a pop up trailer, but in this book there are interesting lessons, ideas, and details about space that apply to well designed houses of any size. This book makes you think. If you are in the process of designing a home, I guarantee you will be flagging pages, and jotting down notes on details. Tiny Tiny Houses is about efficient use of space. It's about good design. It's about historic homes. Lester Walker is an architect with a passion and it shows on every page. This book will have you smiling ear to ear!

I've owned Walker's book since I picked it up on a sale table eight or nine years ago. It's probably given me more enjoyable fantasy hours than any other book I own. I hope to build my own office/studio in the woods behind my house, and this book has fueled my dreams. I may never get around to building any of these structures, but I've been rewarded many times over by the inspiration of "Tiny, Tiny Houses."

I find myself coming back to this book again and again.

To me, its importance is that it provides specific examples of how people have adapted their lifestyles to fit into remarkably small spaces. Some are less than 100 square feet, an area so small that the UBC doesn't recognize such structures as residential.

A few of dwellings shown served as homes for the likes of Henry David Thoreau and Thomas Jefferson; the majority, however, are fairly simple vernacular structures, a few having been designed by the author himself.

The text is concise but quite readable. The line drawings adequately illustrate the interior arrangements for living and enjoying what are often very limited spaces indeed; black and white photos answer most remaining questions.

My father lent me this book after I bought some property (19 acres) and told him I was planning on building a small dwelling there--not necessarily with heat and running water. (But with ISDN or satellite connectivity, of course. ;)

The collection of house profiles is inspiring! From a thatch dwelling, to a two-story built entirely by the woman living there. Famous tiny houses include Thomas Jefferson's honeymoon cottage (which I will probably be building), Thoreau's cabin, George Bernard Shaw's rotating writing hut.

Each house profile includes photos, sketches and floor plans (including tiny furniture).

I'm coming here to get a copy for the friend/architect who I'm going to have draw up the plans!

The book "A Little House of My Own" is the same book, but in color and better designed. And cheaper. Just sayin'.

Forty small, simple and wonderful homes presented in photos, plans and detail drawings by an architect who is an authority on American vernacular design.

This book has whetted my apetite for building small, tiny homes for years. I highly recommend it.

A great idea is simply to make one of these places in the backyard someplace to keep warm while getting away from it all.

Ben

In the age of the McMansion this book fills a real need- the tiny, inexpensive, practical retreat. Whether you are actually looking to build one, or just like to dream, this is the book for you. These are not playhouses for kids. In fact, most of them are as efficiently laid out as a ship's cabin.

The memory of this book still sticks in my mind after twenty years. Plus I still have xerox's of several of the layouts. These are usually one page with a concise description, excellent isometric drawings, and the address of the manufacturer (if kit built.) I especially recommend the backyard retreat (page 105), the tarpaper house (page 131), and the dune shack (page 201.)

There is even a description of practical outhouse construction (page 209), as well as simple water supply and sink systems and stoves and heaters (page 213.)

Perfect book if you plan to build something small and nice. The pictures/photos of historical small houses and plans help to decide if something suits you perfectly or needs to be altered.

However this is not a "how-to" book and without having knowledge of building or local handyman's contact number it is simply a nice inspirational book as details about construction and step-by-step instructios are not provided.

I love this book. Gives pictures/drawings and feedback from the designer. WOnderful for getting your own ideas going and down on paper.